Motive power for submarine boats.



J. BARRAJA-FRAUENFELDER.

MOTIVE POWER FOR SUBMARINE BOATS.

APPLICATION man AP8.29,1915- Patented July 4, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

' INVENTOR 3858; I j Wise nib fiwdjafiw l \D is 1 7 7 J. BARflAJA-FRAUENFELDER.

MOTIVE POWER FOR SUBMARINE BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29. I915.

' Patented July 4, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Mia/Mr sis-as JOSEPH BABRAJA-FRAUENFELDER, 0F BRIDGEPORT, CONN E CTICUI', ASSIGNOB, TO THE LAKE TOE/PEEK) BOAT COMPANY OF MAINE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A

CORPORATION OF MAINE. I

MOTI-VE POWER FOR- SUBMARINE BOATS Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 29, 1915; Serial No. 24,792.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH BARRAJ'A- FRAUENFELDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motive Power for Submarine Boats, of which the following is a specification. I

The invention relates to an improvement in submarine or submersible torpedo boats using steam as a motive power when operat- -in upon the surface of the water.

eretofore, the use of steam power in submarine torpedo boats has not been found prac icable, owing to the intense heat emitted from the boilers and engines, and as no pro- I ventilatorsare closed prior to submegence,;

vision has heretofore been made for cooling the boilers and the surrounding space thereof, the heat trapped in the boat or in the boiler compartment when the hatches and subjects the crew to. extreme discomfort and danger, since it is known that the temperature frequently rises to as high as 130 F.

The object of my invention is to obviate this difficulty and to provide an arrangement for rapidly condensing the steam remaining in the, boilers after the fire in the fire-boxes of the boilers has been drawn or extinguished, and for withdrawing and cooling the hot Water remaining in the boilers, means being provided for circulating the boiler water through the condenser so that the latter will serve as a cooler for reducing the temperature of the boiler water. and means also being provided for supplying the boiler with fresh water when steam is being generated for use in the engines.

The invention consists in providing a con denser into which the steam and the hot water from the boilers and engines are designed to be admitted after the fires of the boilers have been extinguished, said condenser being connected with the external or sea water and having a pump connected thereto for causing a circulation of the external or sea-water The invention fl'lrther consists in an are rangement for passing the cooled Water back into the boiler to thus rapidly cool the latter so thatbut c0inparative'ly little heat is radi i ated from the boiler after the fire has been extinguishedthus permitting the boa to be submerged in as short a time and without discomfort or danger to the crew as is now done with boats using internal combustion or heavy oil engines, said means also serving to supply the boiler with water as it is contudinal section of the amidships and after section of a submarine boat embodying my in'iprovements. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating my invention, the turbines or motors being omittcd. Fig. 3 is a plan view illustrating the arrangement of the turbine engines; the condenser, and the air pump.

1 designates thehull of 'a submarine or submersible boat, and 1 the superstructure,

the amidships section and after end only be- 1 ing shown. *ivithin the main hull is built a boiler-room 2, preferably of the construction shown "and described in United States Letters Patent No. 1,134,910, granted to me April (3, 1915, and assigned to The Lake Torpedo Boat (.ompmrv of Maine. Asthe special construction of boiler-room, however, forms no part of the present invention, I have not'thought it necessary to illustrate or describe this feature in detail, and. furthermore, for the purpose of illustratioii, I show the boiler-room provided with only one boiler (3), however, it will be understood that two or more boilers may be used according to the power and speed of the boat.

idesignates turbine engines of any approved type suitably geared to the propeller shafts 5 which extend through theboat in the usual manner, and provided at their outer ends with propellers 6, As shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3, the propeller shafts wilhhave suitable clutches 5 interposed therein by which the direction of'rotation of the propeller shafts and their propellers may be governed. The turbines are supplied with steam through pipes suitably connected with the steam dome of the boiler 3.

The turbines tal platform 4; arranged within' the boat,

- and below the said platform is arranged a condenser 8, to which is connected a pipe 9 extending from a pump lO'having a pipe 11 connected to the suction thereof, and which extends from the steam dome 3' of the boiler, the said pipe 11 being extended down into the said steam dome below the level of.

the water for the, purpose as will hereinafter appear.' The pump 10 is driven by a suitable electric motor 12, as shown diagram= matically in Fig. 2. The condenser 8 may -be of any suitable design having water pipes able electric motor 14, which, it will be understood, when set in motion, will drive the pump to draw water from the sea and force it through the condenser 'and then out through the pipe 15, thus causing a constant circulation through the condenser to keep it cool and thus cool the hot water from the boiler as it is admitted to the condenser.

As the water from the boiler is cooled in the condenser it is withdrawn therefrom through a pipe 16 having one end connected with the bottom of the condenser, and its opposite end connected to a combined dry and wet air pump 17 of marine or othersuitable type, and from the outlet of the pump extends a pipe 17 which is connected to a suitable feed and filtering tank 18, which maybe built within the main hull of the boat in a similar manner, as the fuel or fresh water tanks of the present and accepted types of submarine boats, or whiclrmay be a separate,'portable tank of suitabledesign. To the lower end of the tank 18 is connected an outlet pipe, 19 extending from a suitable rotary pump 20 from the outlet of which extends a pipe 21 having its opposite end connectcd to the water-jacketof the boiler 3. Valves .24 are arranged in the several pipes to control the passing: of water and steam therethrougln The pumps 17 and 20 are drivenby suitable electric motors 25 and 26, respectively.

{Further understanding of the invention will be best had from the following general description of the operation thereof.

After the smoke stack of the boiler 3 has been closed, and the fire in the boiler has been extinguished, the valve 24 in the pipe 11 is opened, anti the pumps it), 14, 17 and are mounted upon a horizon-- a are ien sec in inotion air ac Hi pipe 7 being in the meantime cl sed so as 0 cut off the admission of any ste In rema in the boiler to the turbines its the 7 10, 14, 17 and 20 are set in motion, the L 10 will draw the hot Water fro?! the boiler and inject it into the conden in which it is rapidly cooled, the it being understood, will set up a circi of the external or sea-water through ti condenser, thus keeping and forced into the combined filter tank 18 from which, M ter tered, it is withdrawn and water-jacket of the boiler by means pump 20, thuseonn'ileting the cycle. It vili be understood that as the hot water is with drawn from the upper end of the boiler, and the cooled water is admitted into the lower end of the water jacket, the steam remaining in the steam dome will naturally be condensed.

In practice the condenser 8 will be provided in its upper end with a perforated pipe 8 into which the hot water is injected, which pipe serves to admitthe hot water in small streams into the condenser throughout the length thereof, thus distributing the water throughout the condenser so as to more rapidly cool the same.

The expanded steam from the turbines 4% is conducted into the condenser 8 through ducts 7' and the water reduced from the steam and also the cooled water from the boiler will be pumped into the combined supply and filter tank 18 to be used again in the boilen It will thus be seen that the com denser 8 serves the double purpose of a condenser and a water cooler.

It will be understood that if the level of the water of the feed and filtering tank 18 is located above the level of the water in the boiler, the pump 20 may be dispensed with and the water thus permitted to run by gravity from the said tank 18 to the said boiler.

\Vhat I claim is:- 1

1. In a submarine boat, a steam genera't ing phlnt, a motor connected with said plant, and a condenser independently connected with said steam generating plant and with the exhaust. of said motor, a valve for closing communication between said generating plant and said condenser, and means interposed between said generating plant and condenser for drawing the steamand hot water from said generating plant 125 into said condenser when said Valve is opened, to rapidly reduce the temperature of the. generating plant, said condenser thereby serving as a cooler for the steam and hot water drawn from the generating plant and as a condenser for condensing the exhaust steam from the motor, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a submarine boat, a steam generating plant, a turbipe motor piped to said. steam generating plant, a propeller geared to said motor, a condenser independently piped to said steam generating plant, means for drawing the Water from the generating plant into said condenser, a pump for forcing external water through said condenser,

and means for supplying said steam generating plant with fresh Water.

3. In a submarine boat, a steam generat ing plant located therein, turbine motors piped to said steam generating plant and operatively geared with the propellers of the boat, a condenser independently connected to said steam generating plant and to said turbine motors, means for drawing the water from the generating'plant into said condenser, means for causing a circulation of external water through said condenser for the purpose specified, a source of fresh Water supply piped to said steam generating plant, and a pump for forcing Water into said steam generating plant.

a. In a submarine boat, a steam generating plant located therein, turbine-motors piped to said steam generating plant and 0p eratively'connected With the propellers of the boat, a condenser independently piped to said steam generating plant, means for into said condenser, means for forcing external cooling Water through said condenser, said condenser serving as a cooler for the hot Water from the generating plant, means for withdrawing the cooled water from said 0011- denser, and means for passing the cool Water drawn from the condenser back to the said steam generating plant.

5. In'combination with a submarine boat having a steam generating plantarranged therein, a turbine motor piped to said steam generating plant, and a propeller geared to said turbine motor, of a combined condenser and cooler independently pipedto said steam generating plant and to said motor, means for circulating external water through said condenser, means for Withdrawing'the hot water from said steam generating plant and forcing it into. said condenser and cooler, a combined feed and filtering tank arranged within the boat, means for conducting the cooled water from said condenser and cooler and forcing it into said tank, and means for 

